Feldman burned by his throwing error

HOUSTON -- Instead of a certain pitch in a certain count, Astros pitcher Scott Feldman is going to spend the next four days lamenting a throwing error in the sixth inning on Wednesday night that loomed large in a 4-2 loss to the Royals at Minute Maid Park.

Feldman was pitching a gem into the sixth inning with the score 0-0 before he allowed one-out singles to Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer. Kendrys Morales followed with a one-hopper toward the third-base line that Feldman fielded and then sailed a throw over the first baseman's head after faking a throw to third.

HOUSTON -- Instead of a certain pitch in a certain count, Astros pitcher Scott Feldman is going to spend the next four days lamenting a throwing error in the sixth inning on Wednesday night that loomed large in a 4-2 loss to the Royals at Minute Maid Park.

Feldman was pitching a gem into the sixth inning with the score 0-0 before he allowed one-out singles to Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer. Kendrys Morales followed with a one-hopper toward the third-base line that Feldman fielded and then sailed a throw over the first baseman's head after faking a throw to third.

Cain scored, and Hosmer went from first to third and later scored on a Salvador Perez sac fly.

"It's baseball and you're going to make mistakes," Feldman said. "You don't like it when it's mental mistakes like that. You play baseball long enough and everybody makes mistakes. I just have to keep going. Really no other choice but to try to get through as many innings as I could."

Astros manager A.J. Hinch said coming off the mound toward third to field a chopper isn't comfortable for any pitcher, and that's truer for the 6-foot-7 Feldman.

"There's a lot to deal with in that play," he said. "Rarely is it a good idea to throw at that arm angle. It's difficult to control. It's not somewhere that you throw from, so the throw sails and the inning continues."

Feldman said it shouldn't be a tough play, he felt he just rushed things.

"I just need to catch the ball and take my time and know who's running," he said. "My internal clock told me to rush that one a little bit. Just a stupid play, and it's going to be haunting me for the next few days until I have to get out there again."

The two unearned runs as a result of the error were the only runs Feldman allowed in 6 1/3 innings. It was an encouraging sign following his first start of the season, when he allowed five hits and four runs in four innings in Milwaukee.

"I think I'm headed in the right direction," Feldman said. "Things are coming out of my hand better than they were at the end of Spring Training and after that first start. It was nice to get back home and have a little warmth, a little humidity, and go out there and have a good crowd."